Bakersfield WWII Veteran turns 100!

    BAKERSFIELD, California (KERO) -- Everett Williams is celebrating his centennial with family, friends, and other local Bakersfield Veterans.

It's hard to imagine what life was like 100 years ago, but one local World War II Veteran says, he made it through the ugly days of war to a beautiful birthday celebration.

If you ask Everett Williams, he'd tell you that he's just a local senior who is turning 100... but he is also a World War II Veteran who told me that he didn't think he would reach his 21st birthday.

"When I was 20 I was bombing Japan in a bomber and I thought they were going to kill me." Williams said.

Everett was in the army Air Corp, a crew member on board a bomber, flying over japan. He flew 30 missions out of Guam but he ended his service on the island of Iwo Jima, with a shot up plane.

He made it out alive, and still has the energy nearly 80 years later to dance, eat cake, and celebrate his centennial with family and friends.

his grandson Robert Williams, says, "it's just awesome to watch him move around the way he moves around to joke, to live life the way he does independently, he's a model it's awesome."

Everett tells me there was only one thing getting him through the war and the past 100 years. "I can take credit for it or at all god protected me I've been a christian almost all my life." He said.

His family says Williams is scheduled to be interviewed about his service at the library congress archives soon.